Ducks, swans and moorhens are a common sight, but you might also see the occasional kingfisher. Dragonflies and damselflies proliferate along Granchester meadows, and further downstream along Riverside near the Museum of Technology, plus signs of otters and water voles.

Along the Halingway (Towpath) starting at Chesteron there are nearly 900 willows, thought to be the longest and most consistently managed line of pollards in the county. They support some 160 recorded species of invertebrates, 20 of which are nationally rare.

In the past pollution was a problem but in recent years there have been few incidents of fish mortality and the density of fish stocks is high. A recent survey gave the river a good to excellent rating for fish stocks and variety of fish.

You can find a wealth of wildlife by the river. Along with the swans and ducks, pike, perch, and bream, you can also spot kingfishers, grey heron and cormorants. You might be lucky enough to see more exotic species such as black swans, Egyptian geese, wood ducks and mandarin ducks which have escaped from bird collections. Shags have also been spotted by the river, and they usually live at sea!

Beyond the city boundary as you start to get out onto the Fens the range of bird life blossoms. Just some of the birds that can be spotted between Cambridge and Ely on the River Cam and The Great Ouse.

Barn Owl

Eurasian Reed Warbler

Meadow Pipit

Barn Swallow

Eurasian Sparrowhawk

Merlin

Black Swan

Eurasian Treecreeper

Mistle Thrush

Black-billed Magpie

European Golden Plover

Mute Swan

Blackcap

European Goldfinch

Northern Lapwing

Black-headed Gull

European Greenfinch

Osprey

Blue Tit

European Robin

Red Kite

Carrion Crow

European Shag

Red-legged Partridge

Chaffinch

European Turtle Dove

Redwing

Common Blackbird

Fieldfare

Reed Bunting

Common Bullfinch

Goldcrest

Rook

Common Buzzard

Great Black-backed Gull

Sedge Warbler

Common Chiffchaff

Great Cormorant

Sky Lark

Common Coot

Great Crested Grebe

Song Thrush

Common Cuckoo

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Spotted Flycatcher

Common Greenshank

Great Tit

Stock Pigeon

Common Kestrel

Greater Canada Goose

Stonechat

Common Kingfisher

Green Woodpecker

Tawny Owl

Common Linnet

Grey Heron

White/Pied Wagtail

Common Moorhen

Grey Plover

Willow Warbler

Common Nightingale

Grey Wagtail

Winter Wren

Common Pheasant

Greylag Goose

Yellow Wagtail

Common Sandpiper

Hedge Accentor (Dunnock)

Yellowhammer

Common Snipe

Herring Gull

Common Starling

House Martin

Common Swift

House Sparrow

Common Tern

Jack Snipe

Common Whitethroat

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Common Wood Pigeon

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

Eurasian Collared Dove

Lesser Whitethroat

Eurasian Hobby

Little Grebe

Eurasian Jackdaw

Little Owl

Eurasian Jay

Long-tailed Tit

Eurasian Marsh Harrier

Mallard Duck

Eurasian Oystercatcher

Mandarin Duck

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